


Of Mountains, Friends And Dinner Plans

by SevenOfNine (2spooky4u), your mom (2spooky4u)



Category: Welcome to Night Vale
Genre: Carlos is forgetful, Cecil is sad, Cecil misses dana, Dinner, Episode: e031 A Blinking Light Up On The Mountain, M/M, Spoilers, but a really good boyfriend, carlos makes dinner
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-16
Updated: 2013-09-16
Packaged: 2017-12-26 19:02:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 973
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/969201
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/2spooky4u/pseuds/SevenOfNine, https://archiveofourown.org/users/2spooky4u/pseuds/your%20mom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cecil is at Carlos's house on Sunday, and he's a little blue. Carlos, in all his perfection, manages to cheer him up.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Of Mountains, Friends And Dinner Plans

**Author's Note:**

> I was listening to the new Night Vale episode yesterday with my friend, and we were discussing the context of the dinner date. Ficlet ensued. Unbetaed.

Carlos is distractible, to say the least. He is so constantly enwrapped in his surroundings that things fall into his mind to be briefly pondered but are replaced by new things, a mental note to return to them later written in hurried writing only to be buried under the cascades of other notes. One might be reminded of a butterfly, barely started with its victim's lifeless corpse before it spies another, more interesting, kill and leaves the initial carcass to lay waste. A beautiful, yet endearingly exasperating thing. Dear, dear Carlos. 

 

".....had to add all these new observations, like three times, can you believe that?"

 

"Hmm," Carlos responds. He is interested, he is sincerely interested, but he cannot figure out a pattern to the trajectories of the lines webbed across Cecil's sweater. They seem, somehow, to be racing apart from each other at some places and veering apart from each other in other places, and yet there is no evidence of any divergences when viewed objectively as a whole. 

 

The sweater's appearance, of course, not Carlos's relationship with Cecil. 

 

Because their relationship is going really, really well. 

 

Despite Carlos's dedication to cracking the mysteries of Night Vale like a child focuses intently on cracking his or her first skull, and Cecil's dedication to reporting those careful pokes and prods like a proud, proud first time parent with a video camera (and a full suit of armor, for we all know how difficult and violent those milestones like teething and skull cracking can be), they made it work. Despite their shared initial desire to act out their mutual fondness as if they would soon be dead, they had been taking things slowly. Cecil was a perfect gentleman, and Carlos was, well. Carlos was exactly what one might expect from a rather perfect scientist with a serious lack of focus. He gazed fondly at things, like potted plants and books and science and Cecil, but when asked would startle and forget. They've settled into a placid pattern of enchanting evenings and shy embraces, the occasional crashing on the other's couch or accidental slip of the tongue (like when Carlos let slip that he loved chrysanthemum lattes almost as much as he loved Cecil) things were amazing, staying just perfect. 

 

 

The first time Cecil didn't take him out somewhere, he had pretended they were headed to something fun yet unimportant. But they had driven instead to Cecil's house near the studio, and he followed the reporter inside where blood-colored candles flickered ominously in anticipation and a table was set for two, an eggplant Parmesan dish (complete with crushed moth wings) steaming in the oven. Carlos had been moved beyond words, and could only take Cecil's hand and kiss him as a response. Then, they talked and talked, before Carlos yawned and attempted to go home. Cecil refused and gave up his bed in favor of the couch so Carlos could be comfortable. Carlos had promised to make dinner for Cecil at some point very very soon. That was two weeks ago, and he had been planning to make dinner Sunday night. 

 

 

Cecil is at his house, after recording, and he's acting strangely. Instead of his usual, pleasant, agreeable self he is acting morose an complaining. That thought is enough to pull Carlos back from his sweater-related reverie. 

 

".....and I still can't believe mountains are real," Cecil says quietly, and stares at his hands. That must be it. 

 

"I bet it's weird to suddenly have to face something that you thought was a myth for so long," he responds. Cecil nods. 

 

"So many terrible things have happened lately," he says somberly. "And we still have no clue where Dana is."

 

Carlos smiles sadly. Cecil, who never makes friends easily, was quite fond of Dana. To find out she was alive only to have to face her disappearance once more was just cruel. 

 

"My scientists and I are trying to process and collect all of the data and readings surrounding her disappearance."

 

"I really thought she had potential. She could have gotten a permanent job at the station eventually, management permitting."

 

"Wow." Carlos is momentarily stunned. He hadn't realized the extent of his boyfriend's admiration. "My scientists-"

 

"Not everything is science, Carlos!" Cecil snaps angrily. He huffs out an indignant breath before realizing what he's said and covering his mouth with both hands, eyes widening. Carlos is taken aback. Cecil, calm, quiet Cecil who likes everyone and everything (Steve Carlsburg excepting, of course), angry. 

 

It's then that Carlos remembers dinner. 

 

"I'm sorry," Cecil says quietly. "I didn't mean to offend you. I should- I should go home," he says, standing up and rushing out of the room. 

 

"Cecil- Cecil, don't, please." Carlos grabs him by the peculiar sleeve of that peculiar sweater and prevents him from leaving. He gives him a forceful hug, only relenting when Cecil relaxes enough to confirm that he's not going anywhere. 

 

"I just really wish she was back," he says miserably. 

 

"I know, Cecil. We all do. But she's tough, remember? She got through the dog park! She can get through this."

 

Cecil smiles. "Yes, I suppose you are correct. She is very resilient."

 

"Her phone probably just ran out of batteries."

 

"I hope so."

 

"Now, I think I promised you dinner."

 

Carlos makes omelets, because they're simple and healthy and tasty and, most importantly, they're comfort food. He finds out that Cecil is very susceptible to crying when cutting onions, but he makes an effort to laugh and joke so Carlos knows he isn't crying because he's upset. He also has a pint of strawberry ice cream in the freezer, and the evening ends well. 

 

Ultimately, Cecil is able to forget about the mountain for a while, and if he is thinking about Dana he is able to brave it for now.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I really really wanna know where Dana is asdfghjkl for glow cloud's sake


End file.
